2. For non-essential information, we use who and which and other wh- words but not that.

Compare these two sentences:

The book features a talking cat that smokes cigars

Here, I’m defining the cat as talking and smoking cigars.

The book features a talking cat, which smokes cigars

Here I’m defining the cat as talking. The fact that it smokes cigars is extra, non-defining information after a comma.

(The book, of course, is Bulgakov’s fantastic The Master and Margarita).

If you use “that” after a comma, it needs to be part of an earlier clause. Otherwise, you’re writing a non-defining relative clause and should write which.

? So:

In A, the fact that all offices comply with the policy is extra, non-essential and non-defining information. It is a non-defining relative clause that should start with which.

A

The firm has a global travel policy, thatwhich all offices comply with, which includes policies such as travelling in economy class for domestic flights

Or, better:

The firm has a global travel policy, which all offices comply with and includes policies such as travelling in economy class for domestic flights

“That” is used correctly in B, because it actually follows a verb in the earlier, main clause, “to confirm… that”. The subordinate clause is “among other issues”.

B

We have applied to the Pozuelo Town Council for a planning certificate in order to confirm, among other questions, that the above-mentioned planning instruments are currently in force [CORRECT]

In C, there are two subordinate clauses. We can correct the second, non-defining clause to “which”. But the best solution would be to combine these into one sub-clause and use “that” in a defining way.

C

It was filed by X and 10 companies ofin its group, being X being a listed company inon the IBEX 35, thatwhich operates in 35 countries

Or, better:

It was filed by X and 10 companies in its group, X being a listed company on the IBEX 35 that operates in 35 countries

D and E are more straightforward examples of the “that or which” error. The relative clauses clearly contain extra information that is non-essential and non-defining, after a comma. They cannot start with “that”.

D

The Recast Regulation is therefore based on a limited vis attractive principle, thatwhich Member States must respect

E

The Company should bear the registration-related costs, thatwhich may be material

In F we also saw a comma followed by that. In this case, the writer translated esto es as “that is”. But we would normally translate esto es (and es decir) as i.e. (or at the beginning of a new paragraph, ‘In other words’).

F

We have been informed that in those cases the standard model applies, that is,i.e.theProperty Tax property tax, ordinary expenses and the insurance premiums are passed on to the Tenants